Expliseat: Cebu Pacific Goes Extra Light On Seats

Cebu Pacific passenger jets are pictured at the tarmac of Terminal 3 at the Ninoy Aquino International aiport in Pasay city, Metro Manila Philippines April 1, 2016. The airline has recently announced it will be utilizing ultralight Expliseat airline seats for its Cebgo ATR 72-600 aircraft.
REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Cebu Pacific has made the executive decision to go light when it comes to its airplane seats. For its fleet of ATR 72-600 planes, the local carrier has decided to fit the aircraft with the lightest seats in the world, designed only by a French company called Expliseat.

For Cebu Pacific, going lighter is more than just about staying with the trends. In fact, having lighter seats onboard is expected to increase the plane's efficiency, specifically fuel and capacity in terms of both passengers and cargo. "The lighter seat is expected to help decrease fuel burn while allowing the carriage of more guests and cargo on board," the company said in a statement. The lightest Expliseat is said to weight in just below 4 kilograms (kg).

High Fuel Savings And Greater Passenger Capacity

The benefits of using Expliseat is not only known to Cebu Pacific but also to various airlines around the world. In fact, Air Tahiti, who had decided to utilize Expliseat seats on its aircraft had managed to extend its passenger capacity from 50 passengers to 55, according to a report from The Economist. As for fuel savings, Expliseat also says that using its ultra light seats can save an airline as much as $400,000 (roughly P20 million) per plane each year. For Ryanair, that amounted to savings of as much as $120 million (roughly P6 billion) per year.

Expliseat: Light And Longlasting Seats

The main reason why Expliseat's seats are significantly lighter than the rest is because it is made with ultralight materials, including carbon composite and titanium resources. These titanium seats are hailed as a technological breakthrough that is currently covered by 16 patents.

According to Expliseat, the company also utilizes only "the most resistant materials certified for aerospace." These include carbon fiber and titanium that easily last 1,000 times longer than typical aluminum. For Cebu Pacific's Cebgo, this means that their airline will be able to do more for its passengers.

"With Expliseat's ultralight seats, CEB is able to provide comfortable seating to its guests while allowing for a more fuel-efficient operation which will lead to more affordable fares," Cebgo President and CEO Alexander Lao explained. "With CEB's low fare offer, we hope to further stimulate inter-island connectivity and contribute to the economies of the destinations we operate in."

Expliseat aircraft seats will be fitted on all of Cebgo's ATR 72-600. Currently, the company has 16 units of this particular aircraft. Meanwhile, Expliseat couldn't be happier about collaborating with Cebu Pacific.

"Expliseat is proud to announce its collaboration with Cebu Pacific Air," Expliseat Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Saada remarked. "This agreement confirms the unique balance between passenger comfort, high reliability and weight savings that can be offered by the Titanium Seat."

What do you think of Cebu Pacific's lighter seats courtesy of Expliseat? Let us know in the comments section below.

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